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A new Blue Grass Stockyards facility will be built along Iron Works Pike despite concerns about Georgetown’s water supply, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and officials with the Bluegrass Stockyards announced Friday.

“Blue Grass Stockyards is to cattle what Keeneland is to Thoroughbreds,” Gray said at a news conference. “It is the biggest cattle market group east of the Mississippi River. Because of its sales volume, it effectively sets the cattle price structure for the entire Eastern United States.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a notice of intent to cancel all Bayer CropScience, LP and Nichino America, Inc., flubendiamide products that pose a risk to aquatic invertebrates that are important to the health of aquatic environments.

True to most springs in Kentuckiana, one day is sunny and warm, the next cloudy and cold. It’s an anxious time of the year for most gardeners as we watch the sun coax open a little patch of crocus or catch sight of an old landscape filled with waves of blooming white snow drops. Must we wait for the forsythia to bloom as we pray for warmth? No, there are plenty of other early bloomers to keep us content until spring truly arrives.

The high school students performed a demonstration of EKG and phlebotomy tests under the guidance of health science teacher Dorothy Beaverson. For the first time this year, students have the opportunity to earn nationally recognized EKG, phlebotomy and Clinical Medical Assistant certifications before they graduate. Eighteen students recently received EKG certification, Beaverson said.

Dorothy Beaverson said 21 students are involved in SCHS’s health science program, which is in its third year.

Trace Maloney is this week’s 10th grade Most Valuable Bear. He is involved in the SCHS choir and drama program. He plans to attend college for acting. SCHS teachers describe Trace as mature, charismatic, caring, an outstanding leader, and wise beyond his years.

Raising small poultry flocks on the farm or in the backyard has become very popular. The most important things to remember when choosing the type of housing are provisions for adequate shelter from weather, adequate ventilation and also protection from predators.

You should choose housing that is easy to build from readily available materials. Housing should also have a low maintenance cost and support the changing needs of your flock.

Ten years ago, Andy and I set to the task of building a potager-style vegetable garden. It has largely been a success.

Last year sort of swamped us, however. So, with a few months of winter’s rest behind us, we are ready to start planning a recovery of sorts. Last summer’s rains turned our beautiful potager garden into a weed farm. The wood chips for mulching are currently waiting in the wings for a dry spell so we can drive them back to the garden and spread them out as paths between our planting beds.

Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles is encouraging Kentucky motorists to make a voluntary $10 donation to the state Ag Tag fund when they buy or renew their farm vehicle license plates.

The donation is divided equally among Kentucky 4-H, Kentucky FFA and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. The “ag tag” donations generated $540,357 in FY 2015. Half of the 4-H and FFA funds go back to the county where the tag is purchased.

A strong scent of skunk has been lingering around the house for the last few weeks, which is actually surprising – surprising because of the livestock guardian dogs’ presence; not surprising, however, because it is mating season for skunks, and they are on the move.

Campbellsville University’s Valentine’s Queen was chosen at the pageant last Friday at Ransdell Chapel. Candidates were announced recently at the school, including Chelsey Robinson, far left, a senior from Taylorsville, representing the Social Work Club.

This week’s SCHS “Most Valuable Bear” is Halee Hood. Halee is very involved in the arts through both chorus and drama. She is a great student, kind and friendly, and always willing to help others. She’s a joy to be around and has an unforgettable personality. She plans to major in theatre after graduating high school this year.

Is fat a bad word? Not necessarily. Simply put, fat is just the body’s storage form for energy. If an animal consumes more energy than it uses, its body will store the excess calories as fat, like money in the bank the animal can use in an energy shortage. (Think cows calving in late winter) Fat imparts flavor to food (like a T-bone steak), but it also adds calories. So managing fat can be a delicate issue in the cattle business.

I suspect most of you have no idea about the person and the saintly episode that is commemorated each February 14 by friends, family and most importantly, lovers. In fact, there are several versions of how the most romantic Saint became a commercial success.

More than 100,000 cattle move through the Bluegrass Stockyards each year. The facility has been a mainstay in Central Kentucky since the mid-1930’s. Recently a massive fire completely destroyed the location near downtown Lexington, and local producers will feel its absence.

It’s February and of course we instantly think of Valentine’s Day. What better way to create a warm spot during the cold bleak month of February than to plan a tasty dinner and dessert for that special someone in our life on Valentine’s Day, particularly if the dessert is chocolate.

It isn’t hard to find the art classroom at Taylorsville Elementary School, but once you get there, it’s easy to get lost in the art. The pottery will carry you to times past, to peoples far away. The paintings will make you feel like you’re right there in the scene.

At TES, every student spends 50 minutes in art class each week. The caliber of the art is a testament partly to the giftedness of Spencer County’s kids, partly to the talent of their teacher, Catherine Knapp.